Test Drive the Chevy Traverse, Get a Free Massage from Massage Envy

Dallas—North Texas Chevy Dealers are inviting Metroplex drivers to test drive the new Chevy Traverse — and get a free one-hour massage session at any Massage Envy clinic.

"Right now through June 14, when you test drive a beautiful new Chevy Traverse at participating North Texas Chevy Dealers, you receive a certificate for a massage from Massage Envy," said Lance O'Pry, Dallas/Fort Worth regional developer for Massage Envy clinics, the leading provider of massage therapy in the U.S.

"Who doesn't need a moment away from the madness of everyday life –and a Chevy Traverse test drive and a free Massage Envy massage are relaxing breaks in your routine," Mr. O'Pry said.

The Chevy Traverse promotion follows five popular DFW "mommy bloggers" as they drive the all new Chevy Traverse and post their experiences along the way. DFW residents are encouraged to visit www.mommymadnessdfw.com to vote for their favorite "mommy blogger" and enter to win an escape to an Austin resort.

More Americans are turning to therapeutic massage treatment to relax, relieve tension and pain and ease the daily stresses of their busy lives. Massage therapy is an easy way to help maintain good health and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

Regular massage improves posture and circulation, lowers blood pressure, helps manage pain, relaxes muscles, strengthens the immune system, enhances post-operative rehabilitation, and improves rehabilitation after injury

At Massage Envy, an introductory one-hour massage session (a 50-minute massage and time for consultation and dressing) is just $39. Memberships are available for $49 per month and include a one-hour massage session. Members may also enjoy unlimited additional one-hour massage sessions at the $39 member rate.

Log on to www.massageenvy.com to find the nearest Massage Envy clinic. There are 25 Massage Envy locations throughout the Metroplex. All are open seven days a week.

[Source: GM]

Photo Credit: AFP PHOTO/PATRICK LIN/GM

Apparently Scouting families are not for want and prefer American, as the cheapest in the pack starts around $28k and there's one foreign-badged car in the crowd. Should you be a scouting parent and interested in their recommendations, below, in no particular order, are the 2009 Scouting Magazine picks for hauling your troop to a secluded camp far from the prying eyes of the general public:

• Chevy Tahoe Hybrid/GMC Yukon Hybrid — Base price: around $51,500
• 2009 Dodge Ram Crew Cab — Base price: around $32,500
• Chevy Traverse — Base price: around $29,000
• Honda Pilot — Base price: around $28,000
• Ford Flex — Base price: around $29,000

You can check out the full cover, of which Ford is proud to have snagged, HERE and head over to Scouting Magazine to read through their reasoning for each choice but beware, one of the categories is "Coolest Optional Equipment." [Scouting Magazine]

Chevy's rationale makes sense: Soccer moms across the country are about to turn in their leased Trailblazers and Yukons. They've seen budgets battered by gas prices, but they still have to have something that can tote the brood around. With 7 or 8 passenger seating, a tall ride height, generous cargo room, and a fairly low load floor, the Traverse attempts to give them a reason to drive back out of the Chevy dealership in something new — something new that isn't a minivan. Chevy needs the Traverse pretty badly, considering they don't have squat between Malibu and Trailblazer.

Although Traverse sits on the same Lambda platform upon which the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave ride, and it's arguably the least successful styling exercise of the four, perhaps due to the fact Chevy wasn't initially slated to get a Lambda vehicle — it looks hurried. The exterior stylists described their goal as creating a crossover with broad, global appeal. Translated, that means, "we tried to please everyone." As is typically the case when you set out to offend no one, you end up exciting no one. That's definitely the case here. Traverse looks as long as a school bus, and the front end comes off as heavy, with a cow-catcher sized air dam begging to scrape the nearest curb.

Inside, Traverse mimics Chevy's successful Malibu with a sweeping dual-cove theme for the dash and materials featuring good texture and a solid feel. Available SmartSlide seating for the middle row causes the captain's chairs to glide forward with the pull of a lever, allowing good access to the surprisingly comfortable third row seats. But the lack of a sliding side door means piling tweeners in and out without bashing into the cars beside you will never be as easy as it is with a van.

On the road course GM set out for us, Traverse displays the good manners we've come to expect from the Lambda platform. It has decent acceleration for its size, good isolation from road, wind, and engine noise, and corners pretty flatly give the size and weight. The stability control system does an admirable job of avoiding cones in wet and dry conditions, and it handles Michigan-style bumps and potholes with aplomb. But, since GM is touting the Chevy's towing ability (5,800 lbs.), it was surprising to feel how much the Traverse was affected while pulling a 4,000-lb boat/trailer combo. The tail felt unstable at moderate speeds, and there was never any doubt about the chunk of weight on the aft end.

So where does this leave the Chevy Traverse? Chances are it'll sell well, considering there are still folks out there who won't drive anything but a Chevy, and the fact the Traverse is light-years better than the Uplander and Trailblazer. Chevy's pricing is going to be key: If it's in the same ballpark as the Outlook, we'd guess GM aficionados will be rethinking Saturn or upgrading to an Acadia. Most of the other buyers will be across town scoping out the Ford Flex.